


collect and select, show me your best set

by syncopation



Series: that powers yet unknown [1]
Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Other, Public Display of Affection, neku meets joshs mom-sister-partner-city and man its a blast
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-04-30 10:02:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5159612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syncopation/pseuds/syncopation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Composer and City- not two people, but also not one person.<br/>This is gonna take a while for Neku to comprehend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. can you hear the calling

From: Josh • To: Neku  
Are you sure you don't dream, Neku? 

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
yes? or no. Isn't it a thing that people dream like 7 times a night and just forget their dreams?

From: Josh • To: Neku  
Is that a human thing? I don't sleep, much less dream. You're a human, Neku, is that a human thing?  
  
From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
thanks for the reminder that you're an ass. i'm gonna sleep now  
  
From: Josh • To: Neku  
Anytime, dear ♥. Sleep well, and sweet dreams to you.  
  
From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
you're terrible.

* * *

Neku snaps his phone shut and puts in on his nightstand, letting gravity take over and lets his arm hang off his bed, losing himself in drowsy thought. A short conversation before sleep that just so happened to be all _about_ sleep, what a Josh-y move. Neku's surprised that there weren't more typos in his state but he's glad because if he did mess up there would never be an end to it.

Neku yawns against his pillow, taking slow blinks in an attempt to stay awake a bit longer. He finds out that it wasn't working at all and wraps his blanket closer to his body deciding that it was, in fact, sleep time.

(He makes a small note to stop criticizing Natural Puppy, because  _damn_ they have conformable pajamas, but that's a topic for tomorrow.)

* * *

Waking up hurt- it was bright, and Neku could have sworn that whatever he on felt exactly like the Crossing, the only thing missing was all the voices and footsteps and noise.

"Ngh...." Neku shields his eyes in vain because it's still so blinding and Neku can't even see what "it" even is.

"Do you need help?" a voice doesn't say. It's more.... felt. Like a thought, not quite like the imprint-mind read conversations. If whatever surrounded Neku didn't start dimming, he would have sworn that it was just his own thoughts speaking to fill the void of silence.

"Hope this is a bit better for you." the not-speaking voice says. Rubbing the stars out of his eyes, Neku stands and looks up, finding that he was at the Scramble, an empty, silent,  _colorless,_ Scramble. It was like he was fighting at Pork City again, waiting for the Noise to fade into existence and continuing the climb up. Neku takes in more because he couldn't while fighting because he was fighting and it notices the small hooded figure that might have been even smaller than he was, standing motionless and gray as the rest of the world. _  
_

Neku would have dismissed them if the person raises and lowers their hand in hello, wearing the tiniest but somehow the most heartfelt and sarcastic smile of all time.

"Josh?" Neku huffs a laugh walks over, because who else smiles like that? No one, and no one else has the power to still Shibuya, no one would freeze a city just to talk to another, except Josh. He pushes down the hood and huffs again because Joshua's adorable when he's smiling and a total prick ."What's going on, couldn't wait for me to wake up and talk to you like a normal person?" Was this what he meant when he said 'sweet dreams'?

Neku blinks and stops smiling when "Josh's" smile looks more real but doesn't change at the same time and furrows his eyebrows when he doesn't get a response. He opens his mouth to speak, to ask if everything's okay, and gets a bony finger put to his mouth like a damn child.

"Don't speak-"  _Thank God you are._ "-there's no need for words, Neku." It doesn't feel like his name was said. It felt more like a mother calling out her child's full name at a ceremony in pride and Neku hopes that he isn't red. He couldn't place why Joshua sounded so different, there was nothing different about his voice, nothing different about his looks. Did he change the shade of his eyes? Were they always that purple or were they a lighter shade- did it matter when it was Joshua? _  
_

"Calm yourself, Neku. I'm only.... borrowing Joshy's human body."

Mom tone?

Borrowing a human body?

_Joshy?_

Neku breaks away from not-Joshua's finger but doesn't step away. He didn't feel like he was in danger, so why risk offending someone who could probably win in a fight? ( _Way to go, me. Maybe that's why you into so many fights._ ) Not-Joshua almost looks disappointed, their own eyebrows furrowing with the slightest pout. _  
_

"Who are you?" he asks and he gets the look from not-Joshua that he gets from others when he asked a question that was obvious to everyone but himself. The look melts away as soon as he notices and not-Joshua curls their finger around Joshua's chin and looks down like real Joshua would do whenever he's thinking. Too long of a pause, too much thinking, better change the question. " _What_ are you?"

Not-Josh brings up their head, seemingly happier with that question instead of the first.

"I'm a lot of things, Neku." There's that mom tone again, shouldn't go so well with Joshua's voice. "I'm music, a thought, a marvel to others outside, I'm everything-" They bring their arms up, looking like a praise to a certain city-God. "-but, as you can see, I can also be absolutely nothing. What would you name someone like that, Neku?"

Music, thoughts, a marvel to the  _outside?_ None of it made sense. Everything and then nothing when looking at _this_ city, as if this person was-

No  _way._

"You're.... Shibuya..?"

_Shibuya_ giggles, the same way Joshua would, in same voice Joshua  _has._

"Joshy calls me Shiya, so you can too."

* * *

 

Neku's hand hits his end table when he wakes up and  _ow._

He rolls over and groans, clutches his hand gingerly to his check, hoping to shake out the pain when applying pressure didn't seem to work. He rolls back over to his other side, lowkey disgusted to find a puddle of saliva on his pillow.

"Gross."

Despite the terrible waking up process, Neku felt great. Hand barely stung anymore, the spit would dry. All's good. _  
_

Neku plucked his phone up and checked the time, 9:45AM on the dot. Not too bad of a time to wake up when it's the weekend. Sure, Neku could still sleep some more, but maybe later.

_Beep beep._

Huh, a message from Josh already.

From: Josh • To: Neku  
Shibuya offers her greatest condolences for your hand.

Oh yeah, that was a thing.

The offer of more sleep was kinda more tempting now.


	2. a cuppa joe for the road?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!!! in case you didn't notice, the tags for this fic have changed!  
> i didn't plan it out very far but honestly even if i did i'd probably change it  
> please know that it's possible that the tags will change again! thank you for reading!!!

From: Josh • To: Neku  
Neku, it's time to wake up.

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya   
no.

From: Josh• To: Neku  
You're awake anyway.

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
i don't wanna get up

From: Josh • To: Neku  
A true pity. Here I was, believing that you wanted to meet my dear, sweet, precious Shiya and get a _proper_ apology given to you.

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
how did you italicize a text!?

From: Josh • To: Neku  
We'll be in WildKat whenever you are, so please feel free to show up at anytime.

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
that's not an answer!!!

* * *

1 minute, 2 minutes, 3, 4.... and no response. Not even a thought-giggle from the prissy bastard.

Neku buries his face further into his pillow. Sure it's 10:30 in the morning and Neku should at least get washed up but it's a Sunday and just because Joshua asked him to show up at the cafe doesn't mean he has to anytime soon. Knowing him he could should up next week and Joshua would make it look like it's only been a few minutes.

 _Do I gotta?_ Neku asks himself. His bed is comfortable, the blankets warm, and the drool from an hour dried away faster than it probably should have, but who's he to complain?

 _It'd be nice if you did._ He hears in response to what he thought and--  _Don't talk to mind talk to me when I'm dead inside man._  Probably not worded as well as it could be, but oh well. Nothing like snark to start a day off.

_'Mind talking' to you, hm?_

_We text for a reason, you know. And you know what I meant._

_Even with clairvoyance I'm not sure what you meant._ Neku huffs a laugh and rolls off his bed. Might as well go get ready and leave if they're going to talk.

"I'm taking a shower, so no peeving. Got it?" He says out loud. Raising one of his arms and stretches, Neku side eyes his wall until he gets an answer.

_Yessir._

He can  **feel** Joshua's fake salute to him and maybe Neku shouldn't have gotten up.

* * *

"We're going to have to get you new headphones one of these days, Neku." Is the first thing Neku hears from Joshua as he walks into WildKat, his old pair sitting neatly around his neck. Not-Joshua-- Shiya-  _Shibuya-_  is leaning against the table they were sitting at with her hood up, hand covering what was left of her face (but he knows that she's wearing that motherly smile, he just does). Mr. H brings up his hand in hello before going back to the sketchpad laid out on the counter in front of him.

"Having so much negative energy around isn't good, you'll attract noise that way, dear."

"Screw off."

"I'd rather screw you?" Neku watches his date get nudged with an elbow as he takes a seat, watching Joshua's smug face change to something that resembled a child who got told the 'no candy before dinner' rule for the third night in a row. Shibuya and Joshua stare at each other for five beats too many and when Neku clears his throat Shibuya sits up in a way that makes it seem like she forgot that he was there.

"No roughhousing you two," Mr. H says. "I just got the place fixed up, don't need a couple of brats wreaking it."

"Yes  _dad._ " Shibuya actually says this time, and his--  _her-_ voice is still  _too_ much like Joshua's just.... Different somehow. More mature, but still with a child factor behind it. Like whatever spark of adult-ness anyone could hear could be swept away with a sentence.

Shibuya sits up, takes off the hood and  _whoa._

Short and straight, chocolate brown hair, face framing bangs in the same color made her dust skin stand out. Her soft, dark hazel eyes shone a little brighter under the florescent lights and more rounded facial features so much like Joshua's showed kindness and knowing and understanding. All in all, Shibuya was just...

Just so....

Shibuya was just so utterly  _normal_ looking.

"Surprise?" She quirks a smile and Neku has to blink and shake his head to get out of the trance.

"A beauty, isn't she." Joshua says in flat tone and he almost sounds pissed. "Of all of the looks, why _that_ one."

"Because I  _like_ this one." They sound like siblings fighting over a stupid subject to see who would win. Meanwhile, Neku's still reeling, comparing the two  _so similar_ yet the  _so different_ faces in front of him.

"Uh." Is all he manages, but it manages to make the two break away from their staring contest to look at _him_ instead. Mr. H's quiet ' _he he he..._ ' is absolutely no help at all. Their unison sighing almost sounds like it was practiced.

"We'll fight later, Joshy. First, Neku," Shibuya extends her hand across half the table. It would almost be comforting if the aura she gave off didn't feel like he was about to get lectured now. "Is your hand alright?"

His hand? Why wouldn't his hand be-- _Oh._ Table. Nine in the morning. Pain. Right. That was a thing that happened.

Neku passes a glance towards Joshua and he gets a stone face look back, a small shrug to go with it.

_Thanks, asshole._

Shibuya starts to beckon with her middle and ring fingers and Neku gives in, giving his hand over to hers because what else is he suppose to-- _  
_

"COLD!?" Neku stands up, taking his hand with his other, keeping them close to his body, attempts at trying to warm up as quickly as possible. Shibuya is looking at him with confused eyes one moment and looks down at her hand. Joshua is looks up too, eyebrows knit together in amusement and Neku can hear Mr. H's muffled laughing somewhere behind the counter.

"Oops." Oops is  _damn_ right, nothing should ever be that cold! Hell,  _Joshua_ never felt that cold! Shibuya looks back up, face barely changed. "Am I right in assuming that your hand in alright with how fast you reacted?"

"It's- I'm-" Quick glances at Joshua again Mr. H again, Joshua still a prick and Mr. H still trying to hold it. Neku sighs, just unable to win today. He takes a seat again and yawns, it's still to damn early. "It's fine. No damage done." When had his life become so  _not_ normal?

The city personified looked convinced enough, or was just that good at acting. She pulls her hands into her lap and flashes a nice, real smile and Neku might have started blushing if he hadn't nearly gotten frostbite in two seconds. An awkwardly comfortable silence fell for no more than 10 seconds before Joshua claps his hands together and while wearing the cheekiest, tooth filled grin says: "Well, it's time we get back to work!" Shibuya sputters when her arm is grabbed at dragged towards the door.

"Joshy- Joshua! I wanted to get a drink-" They both disappear when they pass the front door in puffs of light and Neku can see afterimages of Joshua laughing and Shibuya glaring at him before those fade out too. Neku can feel a phantom kiss that was never placed on his cheek and his phone buzzes.

From: Josh • To: Neku  
I will speak to you another time. If you want, Shibuya can also visit you later.

Have the personality of the city he lives in visit his dreams again? It was nice to think about. Date the Composer, be friends with the City and get an occasional lesson in life with the Producer.

But this meeting was too fast. He should've asked questions more like why meet the City now or why the City even chose to meet him.

(Neku pretends that Joshua would give some sort answer that wasn't vague or confusing. Little miracles that he can wish for.)

* * *

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
talking's fine. maybe no surprise dreams though?

From: Josh • To: Neku  
Very well. Should I schedule another play date?

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
don't call it that, jackass.(meeting again would be nice too though)

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
(meeting again would be nice though)

From: Josh • To: Neku  
Yessir. I'll find time to meet with you another date.

From: Josh • To: Neku  
Also, Neku?

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
hm?

From: Josh • To: Neku  
( ˘ ³˘)♥

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
no

From: Josh • To: Neku  
(｡•́︿•̀｡)

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
...

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
<3

From: Josh • To: Neku  
ヽ(･∀･)ﾉ

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
yeah yeah i get it we're flaming homosexuals.

From: Josh • To: Neku  
You know it.

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
don't you have a job

From: Josh • To: Neku  
You're complaining about me not doing my job already, we're practically married.

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
why don't you.... what do composers even do? whatever it is, go do it

From: Josh • To: Neku  
Yes yes, I'll go do whatever it is Composers do. Talk to you later?

From: Nekky ♥♥♥ • To: Yoshiya  
you better. now gooooo

* * *

Neku doesn't get a response back after that. He sinks down into his arms and closes his eyes, noticing just again how tired he is.

"J and S keep you up with their supernatural-ness?" At least Mr. H understands. Neku hums and shifts around to get more comfortable. There's heat against his arm and when he looks like there's a cup of coffee, without a doubt as bitter as he is. Gratitude swells in his chest and Neku takes the cup in hand about to voice but-

"I'll put it on your tab. 'cause I'm sweet."

Better than paying now, and that's not because Neku forgot his wallet at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll try to update every week or so. i want to keep this going so please enjoy it! more to be added to this series at some point ;D

**Author's Note:**

> i really like the idea of this but PLEASE take note that i have absolutely no idea how often i may update this. i will try to write out the chapters in bulk, but my attention span isnt long enough nor is my creativity in writing. i will try to at least get some sort of schedule if this receives enough attention, if not, i will probably delete this. either way, thank you for tuning in! (hue hue hue music joke)


End file.
